


Searching for Something

by SkyPhoenix13125



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Amnesia, F/M, Once Upon a Time (TV) References, Reader-Insert, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time), True Love, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyPhoenix13125/pseuds/SkyPhoenix13125
Summary: Jefferson is cursed to remember his past. Cursed to see his daughter be happy with another family and remember how he left her.But she's not the only one that he left behind, and he's desperately searching for a sign. Any sign that you might recognize him.Originally posted on Deviantart. This is my original work.
Relationships: Mad Hatter | Jefferson/Original Female Character(s), Mad Hatter | Jefferson/You
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	1. Something Familiar

You were sitting in Granny's Diner and nursing a cup of tea when a little girl hopped up into the stool next to you. You glanced over at her. Or, more specifically, her dress.

“I like your dress,” you said. It was a cute white dress with different colored flowers on it. The girl turned and smiled at you.

“Thank you. It's one of my favorites.” She had dark blonde hair and bright eyes. For a split second, you thought she seemed familiar. And then you shrugged it away. The child had probably walked by your shop before.

She adjusted herself and you noticed a small tear along the seam.

“Oh,” you said. “Your dress has a little tear.” She followed your gaze to see it. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. You smiled softly.

“But do you want to hear a secret?” She nodded quickly. “I make dresses for a living. I could fix that right up for you.”

“Really?” she asked. And that was the moment when her father came in. She told him what you had said and he asked if that was true.

“Yes, sir,” you said. “Just bring it by Ivy's Dress Emporium and I'll have it fixed before you know it.”

“Thank you. We'll bring it to you tomorrow.” You grabbed your bag and left the diner. Unbeknownst to you, your route was being watched.

******************Timeskip******************

Two days later, you were working on Paige's dress when the bell above your door jingled. You glanced up to see a man standing just inside the doorway. His eyes roamed the shop: the racks of dresses, your cluttered desk and the dressing rooms in the back. And that was when you came into view.

Jefferson started slightly at the sight of you. Your (h/l) (h/c) hair, pulled away from your face. Your bright (e/c) eyes watching him. Your forest green dress that reminded him of home. The place he had last seen you.

******************

You heard Jefferson enter your shop and you smiled. “What is it now?” you asked. The single father often came to visit you when he needed advice or a favor from you. Not that you minded.

Jefferson chuckled softly. You often greeted him that way. “I'm looking for some material. Something a bit thicker than your average dress fabric.”

“Well, you've come to the right place,” you replied. Your store was full of odds and ends and if it wasn't called a dress shop, you could have mistaken it for a curio shop. “What do you need it for?”

“Grace and I went into the marketplace today. And she found a rabbit—a stuffed one—that she really liked. I wanted to get it, but...” He trailed off, averting his eyes. You smiled softly.

“You want to make one instead.” He nodded. You knew about Jefferson's finances. But he managed to get by on what he could. You admired him for it. He was a single father and all he wanted was to do right by his daughter.

“I think I have just the thing.” You found a few pieces of fabric and handed them to him. “It's wool. Still fairly soft, so she'll be able to cuddle with it. But it's tough, so even if she plays rough, it will stay in one piece. Not that she will, of course,” you added.

“It's perfect, (Y/N),” Jefferson said. “What do I owe you?”

“Not a thing.”

Jefferson frowned. “But this is quality material. I--”

“Jefferson,” you interrupted, “it's springtime. No one's buying wool right now. And there's not enough material there for a dress anyway. If you can use it for something, you'd be doing me a favor by taking it.”

He kissed your cheek. “Thank you, (Y/N). I owe you one.” You flushed.

“Tell Grace to invite me over for a tea party soon and we'll call it even.”

“Will do,” he told you. And with that, he left the shop.

******************

“Sir? Is everything okay?” Jefferson snapped back to reality to see you standing in front of him.

“Yes, fine,” he replied. “I was just...thinking.”

“Is there something I can do for you?” He nodded.

“I need a present. For my daughter.”

You smiled. “Well, you've come to the right place. I'm Vanessa Ivy, the owner.” You stuck out your hand. He slowly shook it, watching you intently.

“Jefferson.”

“Jefferson,” you repeated. He raised an eyebrow. “I like it. It's very unique.” He cleared his throat and nodded, pulling his hand away.

“Now, what can you tell me about this present?” you asked.

He smiled slightly.

******************Timeskip******************

Paige and her father came in later to pick up her dress. You showed her the repair you had made, and she seemed impressed. You urged her to try it on to make sure that it still fit right.

“It's beautiful,” she said. You turned and looked at her.

“All I did was repair it.”

“No, not this--That!” You followed her gaze to see the project you were working on for Jefferson.

“You like it?” you asked. She nodded. “It's for another customer. He wanted to get something for his daughter.” The piece was actually a cloak, dull red in color. It was covered with the pattern of vines, with small leaves and flower buds at odd intervals.

“Paige,” her father said. “We should get home. Tell Miss Ivy thank you.” To your surprise, Paige enveloped you in a hug.

You chuckled slightly, returning the hug. “Come back if you ever need me, okay?”

“Okay,” she replied. She walked out of the shop with her father. But she glanced back at you and you felt a bit sad to see her go.

You glanced over at the cloak and frowned.


	2. Something Lost

You and Paige became fast friends after you had fixed her dress. She often came to visit you when she got out of school, wandering around your shop and looking at everything you had to offer. Once or twice, you brought her some snacks from your apartment (which was conveniently located on the floor above the dress shop) and you would have small “tea parties”.

So when the door to your shop opened, you figured it was Paige.

“Do you want some tea?” you called over your shoulder without turning around. There was a slight pause.

“I'd love some if you're offering,” replied another voice. You whirled around to see Jefferson standing there, hands behind his back, eyes focused on you.

“Jefferson, hi,” you said. The dark haired man came to visit at odd times at well. Normally, he wanted to check up on the cloak you were working on. But earlier today, you had called and told him that it was ready for him to pick up at his earliest convenience. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Expecting someone else?” You smiled sheepishly.

“Well, I certainly didn't expect you so soon.”

“I understand. But, this item is...important to me,” he said, taking a step closer to you. You quickly handed him a cup of tea. He stared at it in surprise.

“You, uh, said you wanted some,” you reminded him. And with that, you turned away to retrieve the cloak from the back of your shop.

It wasn't that you didn't like Jefferson. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was an intriguing man, and you felt you could grow to like him if given the chance. But something about him was just a bit...off.

When he came into the shop, he was often very quiet. Sometimes he would stare off into space for long periods, almost as if he had forgotten you were there. And other times, he stared at you intently, as though he could see right into your soul.

There were other times he would invade your personal space without realizing it, which only served to make you more uncomfortable. He never seemed to mean it, as he would get flustered and apologize, but it just made you feel like you were worlds apart.

“I think you should know, this has definitely been the most interesting project I've ever done,” you told him as you came back. “But I think it turned out well.”

He set down his cup and inspected the garment, nodding to himself. “It looks good,” he said finally. You smiled slightly.

“Glad you think so. Do you want me to put it in a bag for you?” He nodded again and you moved behind your desk to find one. You rummaged through one of your lower drawers and found a suitable one, pulling it out and setting it on the top of the desk.

When you glanced up, Jefferson was standing right in front of you.

You jumped slightly, trying to catch your breath at the close proximity between you.

He hardly seemed to notice your discomfort, but seemed compelled to speak. “What is that?” he asked softly, gesturing at your neck. You instinctively put one hand on your neck, grasping at the ring hanging there.

“Oh, it's just a ring. I put it on a necklace because it was too big for my hand.” You glanced down at the ring as you spoke. It was a simple silver ring with small, intricate carvings on it. Jefferson kept his eyes on it as well, but for a different reason.

***************

You got up to answer the door, only to see Grace standing there.

“Grace? Is everything okay?” You frowned. “Where's your father?”

The girl handed you a piece of parchment. “He's gone. But he wanted me to give you this.”

“What do you--?” But Grace merely wandered into your shop, clutching a patchwork bunny. You carefully unfolded the paper and read it.

_'Dear (Y/N),_  
_I hope that you never have to read this letter. But I feel I need to write it just in case. You see, the Queen has asked that I take her somewhere, and I've agreed to do it. I know you probably won't understand my reasoning behind this decision, but I have to do this for Grace. The thing is, I'm worried I might not return. The Queen and I have a history, you see. But I can't leave Grace with nothing to her name. So I'm sending you this to ask you one last favor. If I do not return, please take this ring to the market and sell it. It is the last valuable possession I have. But you're going to need it more than I do to carry out this favor. Watch out for Grace. Keep her happy, and I promise you'll never owe me anything else ever again.  
~Jefferson'_

You stared at the ring that had been enclosed with the letter. It was a silver ring, covered in small, intricate patterns. You knew it had to be Jefferson's because it was too big for your hand. So you found a chain to put it on and swore to keep it with you always.

***************

“You kept it,” Jefferson said softly.

You looked up at him. “Of course I did. It's special to me.”

Jefferson stared at you for several seconds before turning away, muttering to himself. You frowned.

“Jefferson?” He grabbed a fistful of his hair. “Are you okay?” He ignored you, starting to pace around the floor as he continued to mutter incoherent things. You could see the muscles in his face twitching, almost like he was having a nervous breakdown.

You carefully stepped around your desk, still trying to get a handle on the situation.

“She stole everything........my magic......my daughter......... my happiness..... my sanity...” He suddenly stood up straight and turned to face you, a wild look in his eyes.

“Do you remember?” he asked.

“Remember?” you repeated. “Remember what?”

He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. “No, of course you don't! No one does. She made sure of that.”

You took that opportunity to reach out and touch his arm. “Jefferson?”

At the sound of his name, his eyes flew open and he grabbed your arms and pinned you to the nearest wall. “Don't touch me!” he snapped. You winced.

He blinked a few times, as though just realizing what he had done. He immediately released you.

“I'm sorry.” His voice was soft, almost pleading.

You stepped away. “You need to leave.”

“I didn't mean--”

“You need to leave,” you repeated. “Right now.” You grabbed the cloak and tossed it at him, sitting down behind your desk.

Jefferson hesitated, waiting to see if you would change your mind. If you would say something to him. Or even look at him.

But you didn't.

So he left, keenly aware of just how much he had lost because of that curse. Just when he thought he couldn't lose anything else.


	3. Something Memorable

Two weeks had passed since the incident with Jefferson. You still couldn't really believe how quickly he'd changed. You hadn't spoken to him since, mostly because you were a little worried how sane he was at this point. And that was when you got the call.

“Ivy's Dress Emporium, how can I help you?”

There was a pause. “I want to apologize.”

“Jefferson, I really don't think--”

“Please! I just...I just want the chance to explain myself.”

“When do you want to come by?”

“I would actually prefer we meet at my house. And then if I say anything at all you don't like, you can leave.” You contemplated this for several seconds. “Are you still there?”

“Deal. See you then.” You hung up before he could say anything else. You had a very bad feeling about this. But the least you could do was hear him out.

**********

“Jefferson, that's enough!” you exclaimed. “I don't know what point you're trying to make here, but you're not making any sense.”

“I'm trying to explain myself,” he said simply. You scoffed.

“You're talking about curses and magic and everyone in this town being some kind of fairy tale character. And Regina is apparently behind it because she wanted to take away everyone's happiness. And you think your daughter is over there with some other family, and you're the-”

“Don't say it.”

“....You're the only one who thinks this is real.”

“No, I'm not. Regina knows. And Mr. Gold probably does too. They both have too much to lose by giving up their memories. They still have the upper hand, even without magic.”

“Jefferson,” you said slowly. “Have you ever thought about going to Dr. Hopper about all of this?”

He fixed you with a cold stare. “I'm not crazy, and I'm not going to tell a cricket about my problems.” He sighed. “It's not like he'd believe me anyway.”

“How about you just tell me about this?” you asked, holding up the ring. His eyes flickered between it and you, and he hesitated.

“It's mine. Well, it was mine. That's why it won't fit on your hand. Grace gave it to you when I left.”

“Left?”

He nodded. “Regina asked me for a favor. She wanted me to take her to another world, and I agreed. But she tricked me and abandoned me there. I left the ring for you.”

“So you knew me in the other world?” you asked. He nodded again, sitting down.

“You lived in our village as a seamstress. We were....friends. And I knew I could trust you to take care of Grace if I wasn't there. I left that ring with her in case something happened to me. She was supposed to give it to you if I didn't come back. I thought you would sell it. But you kept it instead. You....kept my ring.”

“I was forced to stay in Wonderland until I could make another portal. Without magic, it was impossible. But I kept trying. For you. And Grace. I kept trying so that I could get back to the two of you.”

“That's why I waited so long to contact you. I knew it wasn't going to end well. But I saw her talking to you that day in the diner and I thought there was a chance.” He smiled sadly. “I guess I was wrong. Regina took you away too.”

You glanced down at the ring, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.

“You made Grace's cloak back in our village. I thought having you make it again would help you remember. There were times when I thought you did. But then I saw the ring, and...you had no idea what it meant to me.” By now, his head was in his hands.

You felt tears starting to form. You frowned slightly. Why was he affecting you like this?

“Do you know what it's like to see you and hear your voice again?” Jefferson asked. “After all this time....but you don't remember me. Just like Grace.”

He glanced up at you. “And that's why she let me remember. So that I would be cursed to walk around everyday knowing that I could be happy. But neither of you remember. And you won't believe me.”

You gently took one of his hands in yours. “You're not cursed. You're just hurt, and that's okay.” He studied your face. Your (e/c) eyes, and your small smile. Your hair, your lips pulled into a sympathetic smile.

Before he knew what he'd done, he'd pressed his lips to yours. You didn't respond, and he pulled away.

“I'm sorry. I didn't....I shouldn't have....”

“Jefferson,” you said softly, searching his face. “Is that you?”

“You...you remember me?”

You nodded quickly, hugging him. “You're alive! Oh, Jefferson, I thought I'd never see you again!” He quickly wrapped his arms around you, nuzzling his head in your neck.

“You remember,” he muttered over and over again as the tears started to form. You finally pulled away so you could look at him.

“There's no way I could ever forget you, Jefferson. Not completely. I love you.”

“I love you too, (Y/N),” he replied with a small grin. “I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”

You grinned. “I guess you just owe me a few more favors.” You pecked his lips. “Just promise not to leave again, okay?”

He nodded quickly. “I promise.”

~~~~~~~~~Extended Ending~~~~~~~~~~~

Not long after that, the curse was lifted and Grace remembered the two of you. You presented her with the red cloak you had made for Jefferson, which she loved even more now that she could remember it. 

Jefferson proposed to you a week later, promising not to leave either of you on your own again. You happily agreed, and moved in with him in his large house. And Jefferson found that he felt something he had been missing in his life.

Happiness.


End file.
